Reviews with content warning for Ableism - Of Mice and Men

At first, I did not enjoy the book as the strong language (including the n word) along with the rude treatment of Lennie turned me off. Even though I’m aware this is the language people used in the Great Depression era, it didn’t make me enjoy reading it. However, I still found myself intrigued and wasn’t able to put it down. Gradually, I came to enjoy the book and seeing George and Lennie piece their dreams together. The book did end on an incredibly sad note, but I thought it was well-written and nuanced. Overall, it’s a good story with the narration framed in the time period it takes place in, and even though it’s very short it conveys lots of meaning and nuance.

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thirza's review against another edition

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sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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geesammy's review

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Vivid character portrait. Normally I don’t enjoy overly descriptive scenes with little plot but it worked well in this shorter format

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threeundertwopnw's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An absolute masterpiece. Gets better every time I read it.

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kiwij96's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

After having to leave their previous town, George and Lennie find themselves on another ranch as a stepping stone for their own future ranch.

This is the first time I've read this book independently since leaving school. School definitely made this book feel longer but it was a quick evening read of 120 pages.

Reading it in Secondary School, I used to think Curley's wife was the villain of the story. But having read it now as an adult, there are no villains. It is just a concise social commentary on life in 1930s America:
1. Sexism: Curley's wife didn't even have her own name and based on her conversation with Lennie, she didn't even have her own life - she just married Curley to get back at her mother. Dreamt of being an actress and making a name for herself.
2. Racism: Crooks also didn't even have his own name. He lived on his own, segregated from the rest of his colleagues based on the colour of his skin. He put up with racist slurs being hurled at him constantly.
3. Ableism: Crooks' nickname comes from his injury. Candy and Lennie get left out of the men's outing to town. And George frequently tells Lennie that Lennie is a burden.

The book is not well-written by modern standards for sure: racist, misogynistic and ableist terminology is rife. The repetition also becomes a bit painful at times. But in little over 100 pages, you understand the characters and there is no need to continue it much further than where it ends.

The story is wanting the American Dream. Everyone in this story wants it, dreams of it, works for it. But in the end, no one really achieves it.

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